Safety reset valve



July 11, 1961' Filed April 21, 1959 W. A. RAY ETAL SAFETY RESET VALVE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 f 40 I a;

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RICH/92D D. Gem $0M BY Jam ad/V 44 Patented July 11, 1961 2,991,792SAFETY RESET VALVE William A. Ray, North Hollywood, and Richard D.

Grayson, La Canada, Calif.', assig'nors to General Controls Co.,Glendale, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 21, 1959, Ser.No. 807,837 2 Claims. (Cl. 1'37--66) This invention relates to fuelvalves, and particularly to safety gas valves adapted to supply a burnerwith fuel. Such safety valves are now in common use and usually includean electromagnet energized by a thermocouple or thermopile heated by thepilot flame.

In such devices, it has also been common to provide for manuallyresetting the valve to open position, but the valve can be retained inopen position by the electromagnet only after the pilot flame isreestablished. To accomplish this result, it has been customary to holdthe pilot valve in open position and simultaneously to light the pilotburner while the gas flow to the main burner is prevented.

In the usual type of burner installation, the pilot burner is quiteaccessible for lighting it. However, there are other forms in which thepilot burner location, to comply with design requirements, is such as tomake it diflicult, if not impossible, to light it with a match. One suchtype of installation is in conjunction with an oven as used in a modernrange.

It is one of the objects of this invention to make it possible to lightthe pilot burner by first lighting the main burner, which is invariablyreadily accessible, and the flame of which ignites the gas issuing fromthe pilot burner.

It is another object of this invention to ensure that during thislighting operation, the flow of gas to the main burner is substantiallybelow full flow.

It is still another object of this invention to improve, in general,safety reset valves of this character.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of oneembodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form inthe drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification.This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the generalprinciples of the invention; but it is to be understood that thisdetailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since thescope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the safetyreset valveincorporating the invention and used in a system, the valve being shownin fully opened position;

' FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve incorporating theinvention, illustrating the valve in fully closed posi ionu. p

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the valve in theprocess of being reset;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the closure structurefor the reset valve, shown as cooperating with a valve seat and in theresetting position of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line 5-5of FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, a main burner 1 is illustrated as fed with gaseousfuel through a conduit pipe 2. This burner is shown merelydiagrammatically, as obviously it can be of a configurationcorresponding to a domestic gas oven. Conduit pipe 2 connects to theoutlet side of a safety valve structure 3. A source of gaseous fuel isconnected to the inlet side of the valve 3 as by the aid of a conduit 4.

The valve 3 operates as a safety reset valve, the func- -tion of whichis now generally well known. This valve operates to interrupt the flowof fuel to the burner 1 when the flame 5 of a pilot burner 6 isextinguished. This pilot burner 6 is shown as fed by aid of a conduit 7supplied with gas when the valve 3 is open.

The valve 3 includes a body 8 having an inlet connection 9 and an outletconnection 10 into which conduits 4 and 2, respectively, extend.

The body 8 has a generally cylindrical portion 11 ex tending upwardly.This extension 11 forms a chamber 12 which is in constant communicationwith the inlet conduit 4. Between the outlet conduit 2 and the chamber12 there is interposed a valve seat 13 (FIG. 4). This valve seatsurrounds a chamber 14 in constant communication with the outlet conduit2. Accordingly, when a valve closure structure is seated on the valveseat 13, the flow of fuel to the burner 1 is interrupted.

The valve body 8 is closed by a cap or cover 15 appropriately attachedto the extension 11. A gasket 16, interposed between the cover 15 andextension 11, serves to seal the body. While the pilot flame 5 is inexistence, electro-magnet coils 17 (FIGS. 2 and 3) are energized by theaid of a thermocouple or thermopile 18 influenced by the heat of theflame 5. These coils are wound on the legs of a U-shaped core member 19having polar areas adapted to hold an armature 20 in the attractedposition. This armature may be of disk form. When the armature 20 isheld in this position, the valve closure structure 21 is in the fullopen position of FIG. 1. The leads 17a (FIG. 2) of the coils 17 extendthrough a sealing rubber grommet 17b in the wall of cover 15.

The valve closure structure 21 is supported by the aid of a cylindricalpost 22. This post 22 has a reduced upper hollow portion 23 which isreceived in a tapered recess in the armature 20 and upset so as to flarefor holding the parts together.

The post 22 has a central recess provided with threads engaging a stud24 (FIG. 4) carried by a closure support 25 of disk form. The lower edgeof the post 22 serves to clamp a disk 26 against the upper surface ofthe support 25. A resilient closure proper 27 (made of rubber or thelike) has an inwardly directed flange 28 forming an annular groove intowhich the edge of the disk 26 may be accommodated. Due to the resilienceof the rubber, the closure can be readily stretched over disk 26. Inthis way, the closure 27 is supported on the disk 26.

The disk 26 is provided with a plurality of equiangularly spacedrectangular ports or apertures 29 (FIG. 5). Four are shown in thepresent instance.

Slidably mounted on the post 22 is a collar 30' which is supported inthe bottom wall of a supplemental housing 31, as by an upset flange 31a.The upper wall or cover 32 of this housing carries the core 19 as by theaid of a fitting 34 which carries a nut 33 engaging the upper surface ofthe cover 32. 34 downwardly, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, will carry themagnet core 19 downwardly into contact with the armature 20. Thisposition is indicated in FIG. 3.

The fitting 34 is threaded into the interior surface 35 of a tubularmember 36 formed integrally with a push button 37. This sleeve ortubular member 36 is guided by the aid of an aperture 38 formed in thecasing cover 15. An O-ring 39 provides a seal for the chamber 12.

A light compression spring 40 is disposed around the sleeve 36 and urgesthe button 37 upwardly to the position of FIG. 2, except when it ispurposely urged downwardly by a finger of the operator. Such adownwardly held position is indicated in FIG. 3.

Let us assume that the valve is closed as in FIG. 2. Pressure on thebutton 37 moves the electromagnet core Thus, movement of the fitting 19downwardly to the position of FIG. 3. sion spring 41, interposed betweenthe bottom of the supplemental casing 31 and the disk 26, is compressed(see particularly FIG. 4). The closure 27 is thereupon urged stronglyagainst the seat 13.

In this position, gas is permitted to flow through the restrictedpassageways or ports 29 so as to make it possible to ignite the mainburner 1 to provide a flame 42. The flow of gas through these ports 29is of sufficiently low pressure so that the flame at the main burnerwill not be blown out but high enough so as to ignite the pilot burner6.

To ensure that the gas supply to main burner 1 is completely shut ofl?when the valve is in the position of FIG. 2, a supplemental closure isprovided for all of the ports 29. This closure 43 is made of metal andhas an upper edge or surface 44 adapted to engage the lower surface ofthe closure 27.

This supplemental closure member is carried by a post 45 fastened as bya spring ring 46 into a recess 47 formed in the bottom of thesupplemental closure 43. This post 45 extends through the stud 24 andinto the hollow lower end of the post 22. A compression spring 48 actsagainst the head 49 of the post 45 to urge this post upwardly, normallyto the position of FIG. 2. In this position, the gas is completely shutoff.

In order that the ports 29 be uncovered during the resetting operation,a U-shaped member 50 has arms 50:: and 50b extending through a pair ofdiametrically opposite ports 29. This U-shaped member 50 is held inplace against the inside surface 51 of the supplemental closure 43 as bythe aid of a fastening pin 52 or the like. The upper edges of the armsof the U-shaped member 50 are adapted to be contacted by the lowersurface of the collar 30 as it is moved downwardly by the push button37. This resetting position is indicated in FIG. 4.

After the burner 42 is lighted by a match when the valve is in theposition of FIG. 4, the pilot burner 6 is also ignited by flame 42. Thepush button 37 may then be released after a short interval. This releasebrings the electromagnet core 19 and the armature 20 to such position asto lift the entire closure structure 27 off the seat, as viewed inFIG. 1. Accordingly, full gas flow is permitted to the main burner 1.

Should the pilot flame be extinguished, the closure structure 21 isreleased by the electromagnet core 19 and is urged to the fully closedposition of FIG. 2. In this position, all of the ports 29 are closed bythe supplemental closure member 43.

Should it be desired to reset the apparatus, the push button 37 is urgeddownwardly to the position of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. In this position, theburner 1 can be ignited so as to produce a low flame 42. This burner inturn ignites the pilot flame 5. Shortly thereafter, the button 37 may bereleased to assume the position of FIG. 1.

The inventors claim: 1. In a safety fuel valve structure: a valve bodyhaving an inlet passage, an outlet passage and a valve seat which, whenclosed, serves to interrupt the passage of A compresfuel between thepassages; a main valve closure cooperating with the seat and serving todefine chambers respectively connecting with the inlet passage and theoutlet passage; said main closure being located in the inlet passage; amovable main stem carrying the main closure; means releasably coupled tothe main stem for lifting the main closure from the seat; said mainclosure having at least two spaced ports through which fluid may passbetween the inlet and outlet; a supplemental closure for said ports,operating on that side of the main closure which is exposed in theoutlet chamber; arms attached to the closure and extending through saidports, said arms having edges in the inlet chamber; an auxiliary stemfor the supplemental closure; a guide for the auxiliary stem carried bythe main stem; said main stem having a hollow portion for the entry ofthe auxiliary stem; resilient means in the hollow portion for urging theauxiliary closure to closing position; movable means guided by the mainstem for engaging the said arm edges to cause the auxiliary closure touncover said ports; and means for resiliently returning the means guidedby the main stem, to cause the auxiliary closure to close the ports.

2. In a safety fuel valve structure: a valve body having an inletpassage, an outlet passage and a valve seat which, when closed, servesto interrupt the passage of fuel between the passages; a main valveclosure cooperating with the seat and serving to define chambersrespectively connecting with the inlet passage and the outlet passage;said rnain closure being located in the inlet passage; a movable mainstem carrying the main closure; means releasably coupled to the mainstem for lifting the main closure from the seat; said main closurehaving at least two spaced ports through which fluid may pass betweenthe inlet and outlet; a supplemental closure for said ports, operatingon that side of the main closure which is exposed in the outlet chamber;arms attached to the closure and extending through said ports, said armshaving edges in the inlet chamber; an auxiliary stem for thesupplemental closure; a guide for the auxiliary stem carried by the mainstem; said main stem having a hollow portion for the entry of theauxiliary stem; resilient means in the hollow portion for urging theauxiliary closure to closing position; movable means guided by the mainstem for engaging the said arm edges to cause the auxiliary closure touncover said ports; said means for lifting the main stem being joined tosaid means that is guided by the main stem; and resilient means forurging said lifting means away from the main stem, for permitting theauxiliary closure to close the ports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,290,108 M'antz July 14, 1942 2,321,095 Mantz June 8, 1943 2,850,030Guelson Sept. 2, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 807,389 Germany June 28, 1951

